Health officials stress need for vaccines as flu season approaches

CHICO -- Flu season is nearly here and area health officials are advising people to take precautions so they don't end up with a severe case of the sniffles, hit-by-a-truck aches and pains, or worse.

National health officials say flu season is off to its earliest start in a decade — and it could be a bad one. The primary strain circulating is one that tends to cause more severe illness, especially in the elderly.

An uptick in flu cases has not been reported in California yet, but Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas have seen spikes. The prevalence of cases elsewhere likely means the virus will be here soon, said Dr. Mark Lundberg with Butte County Public Health.

"There is nothing that stops it at the border," he said. "Those people travel here and I think it just tells you we are going to be set up for increased rates."

"Anybody should want to prevent influenza, even if you are really healthy," he said. "They may say, 'I had the flu before — it wasn't that bad. No, most people probably had a bad cold ... The influenza is going to make even the healthiest person pretty miserable for a few days."

Flu shots reduce the chance of missing work or school, impacts to travel plans and other life disruptions, as well as the unpleasant physical symptoms of being sick, Lundberg said.

"Think about it as insurance," he said. "The investment you might make in time and cost of the flu vaccine is well worth the benefit to your life."

At the Butte College health clinic, a handful of students are taking advantage of flu shots and nasal mists daily. Family nurse practitioner Nip Boyes said he is a major advocate for vaccinations.

"We know that the classroom is the focal point of disease transmission," he said. "Somebody coughs or sneezes on the other side of the room and millions of airborne nuclei get transmitted."

With flu becoming widespread in the south and East Coast, it's only a matter of time before it arrives here, Boyes said.

"At Christmas, people are traveling back and forth across the country bringing their bugs with them — this is not a pretty picture," Boyes said.

"And Butte College gets kids from all over the country. We are like the mixing pot."

It can take two to four weeks to develop immunity, and the flu shot is not 100 percent guaranteed. Still, it's better for those eligible to be safe than sorry, he said.

Dr. Deborah Stewart, medical chief of staff at the Chico State Student Health Service, said the health center does what it can to be proactive to halt the spread of the virus. Students with a cough are given a mask and are seated in a separate area, and sick students in residence halls are also isolated.

Vaccines are still available, she said.

"It's really critical to get vaccinated," she said. "And you cannot get the flu by being vaccinated. That's an absolute myth."

Christina Chavira, spokeswoman for Enloe Medical Center, advises people with early flu symptoms get treated right away.

"Within 48 hours, if they can get to their primary care doctor, or Prompt Care or another walk-in clinic, they can be treated with antivirals," she said. "This can lessen the duration of the sickness and decrease the symptoms."

She also recommended using ibuprofen or acetaminophen to control fevers, not aspirin.

"Covering your cough, washing your hands — those are the top things you can do to prevent the spread of the flu," Chavira said. "And, of course, getting the flu shot."

Flu season runs through March, so it's not too late to be vaccinated, Lundberg said. The department of public health and area hospitals offer free clinics periodically, and vaccines are usually available for a low cost at pharmacies, clinics and health care providers.

Connect with Ashley Gebb at 896-7768, agebb@chicoer.com or on Twitter @AshleyGebb.